Getting into medicine, nursing or dentistry in Spain

Terms used

• Notas de corte — Notas de corte are the lowest admission marks that won a place in a degree the previous year.
• Numerus clausus — The numerus clausus is the fixed limit on how many students a university can admit to a degree.
• UNEDasiss — UNEDasiss is the service that processes university access for students with foreign school qualifications and issues their credencial and mark.
• Credencial — The credencial is the document that proves your right to apply to Spanish universities with a foreign qualification.
• PAU — The PAU is Spain's university entrance exam taken at the end of school.
• MIR — The MIR is the national exam that ranks doctors for paid hospital residency places in Spain.

Key rules

• Medicine: Medicine has the highest cut-offs, so always prepare a backup route.
• Foreign applicants: Foreign-system applicants mostly compete in the general quota, with the same cut-offs as everyone else.
• Private universities: Authorised private universities give official degrees, but they cost much more and often add tests and interviews.
• Study in another EU country: A medicine degree from another EU country must be recognised in Spain before you can take the MIR.

How hard is it to get in?

Plan for a backup from the start. Places in health degrees are capped, so entry depends on your admission mark, and the marks needed are very high. Medicine is the hardest, then dentistry, then nursing.

Typical cut-off marks (notas de corte) at public universities, out of 14:

• Medicine: about 12.5 to 13.9, depending on the university and region.
• Dentistry: usually around 12 to 13.5.
• Nursing: lower, often about 9 to 12.

The numerus clausus limits places. Spain offers roughly 7,000 to 8,000 medicine places a year and around 700 to 1,000 in dentistry. Nursing has many thousand. Cut-offs change every year and differ by university, so look up the latest published figures for each place you want.

If you have foreign qualifications

Apply through UNEDasiss. It issues the credencial that gives you access, plus a mark based on your home certificate. You can sit optional Spanish-style subject exams to raise that mark, up to 14.

Foreign-system applicants mostly compete in the general quota for health degrees, with the same cut-offs. Expect to need a high mark. A small number of universities set aside places for foreign-system students, so ask each one. Public universities also reserve quotas for some groups: disability, elite athletes, applicants over 25, 40 or 45, and people with a prior degree. Rules for non-EU students can differ by region.

Your options if the mark is out of reach

The decision block below helps you choose. Here is what each route involves.

Less competitive universities or regions. Cut-offs vary widely, so this is the cheapest fix. Shortlist several as backups.

A related degree first. Biomedicine, biotechnology, biochemistry, pharmacy, human nutrition, biology, occupational therapy or nursing can lead on to health master's courses. Some universities reserve a small share of places for graduates or people with a prior degree. Transfer into a capped degree after first-year credits is possible, but transfer places are scarce and are also given by grades.

A private Spanish university. Several private universities offer medicine, and the list is growing. Fees are typically about 12,000 to 20,000 euros or more a year. Public universities charge often about 1,000 to 2,500 euros a year for first enrolment, set by each region. Degrees from authorised private universities are official Spanish degrees. Their graduates sit the MIR (the exam for hospital residency) on the same terms as public graduates, and the university you attended makes no difference to your MIR place. Admission is often not just a cut-off. Expect entrance tests and interviews as well as your grade.

Medicine in another EU country. Portugal, Italy, Czechia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria are examples. To work in Spain you must then get your title recognised through the Ministry process, and that comes before you can take the MIR.

Retake the entrance exam. Sitting the PAU again, or its voluntary phase, can raise your mark.

Higher vocational training in health. Courses such as dental hygiene, radiodiagnosis, clinical laboratory or nursing assistance give access to university with a separate admission mark.

What to do next

Work through the checklist below. Confirm with each university and with UNEDasiss what applies to you, especially reserved places, transfers and recognition of foreign degrees.

Choosing between options

What should you do if a capped health degree looks out of reach?

• Apply to less competitive universities or regions: Your mark is close to the cut-off, since cut-offs vary widely by university and region.

• Study a related degree first: You want a health career and can accept a longer route, for example Biomedicine, Biology, Pharmacy or Human Nutrition, then try a graduate entry route or a master's.

• Go to a private Spanish university: You can afford much higher fees and want an official degree with entrance tests and interviews rather than a pure cut-off.

• Study medicine in another EU country: You accept getting your title recognised in Spain, which you need before the MIR residency exam.

• Retake the entrance exam or do health vocational training: You can raise your mark with another try, or want a higher vocational course in nursing assistance, dental hygiene or similar that gives university access with a separate mark.

If your mark is within reach of a less competitive university, apply there first; if not, choose between paying for a private degree, studying abroad with recognition, or building your mark through a related degree, a retake or vocational training. Later transfers are scarce and also go by grades.

Checklist

• Look up the latest published cut-off marks (notas de corte) for medicine, dentistry and nursing at each university you are considering.

• Compare your expected admission mark with those cut-offs, remembering that medicine is typically about 12.5-13.9 out of 14, dentistry about 12-13.5 and nursing about 9-12.

• Apply through UNEDasiss to get your credencial and mark if you have a foreign school-leaving certificate.

• Consider sitting the optional subject exams to raise your mark, up to 14.

• Check whether you qualify for a reserved quota, such as disability, elite athlete, over-25/40/45 or prior degree.

• Ask each university whether it reserves places for foreign-system students in the degree you want.

• Shortlist less competitive universities or regions as backups, since cut-offs vary widely.

• Choose a related degree or a higher vocational course in health as a fallback route.

• Confirm that any private university degree is officially authorised and check its current annual fee.

• Ask the Ministry of Universities about title recognition before enrolling in medicine in another EU country.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study medicine at a private university in Spain?

Yes, several private universities in Spain offer Medicine, and their degrees are official Spanish degrees. Graduates sit the MIR residency exam on the same terms as public graduates, and the university of origin does not matter for MIR places. Admission is often not a pure cut-off system: expect entrance tests and interviews as well as your PAU grade.

How much does private medicine cost compared with a public university?

Private medicine typically costs roughly 12,000 to 20,000 euros or more a year. Public universities charge much less, often about 1,000 to 2,500 euros a year for first enrolment, set by each region. Confirm the current price and that the degree is officially authorised before you pay.

Do foreign-system applicants get reserved places in health degrees?

Generally no, foreign-system applicants compete in the general quota for health degrees, with the same high cut-offs. Reserved quotas exist for groups such as disability, elite athletes, over-25/40/45 applicants and those with a prior degree. A few universities allocate places to foreign-system students, so ask the university and UNEDasiss, which issues the credencial for access.

Can I study medicine in another EU country and return to Spain?

Yes, but you must get your title recognised in Spain through the Ministry of Universities process before you can take the MIR residency exam. Countries people often consider include Portugal, Italy, Czechia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. Check the recognition steps before you enrol.